The Ancient City of Bagan – Myanmar – January 2013

Upon arriving in Bagan from Monywa, we immediately proceeded to Phya That Gyi Pagoda, one of the pagodas offering roof access, to watch one of Bagan’s spectacular sunsets.

Phya That Gyi Pagoda

Phya That Gyi Pagoda

But first, we were able to explore the pagoda which housed Buddha images in black robes…

Buddha Image at Phya That Gyi Pagoda

Buddha Image at Phya That Gyi Pagoda

…plus view for the first time the panorama of over 2,200 stupas, temples and pagodas, which makes Bagan a wonder to behold…

View from Phya That Gyi Pagoda

View from Phya That Gyi Pagoda

While the multitude of monuments is awe inspiring, there were at one time over 10,000 such structures in Bagan, many of which were destroyed by the Mons or by earthquakes in this region.

The next morning we set off to explore many of the monuments remaining in this city which was the capital of Myanmar from the 11th to the 13th centuries.  We first visited the Ananda Temple…

Ananda Temple

Ananda Temple

…which is considered one of the four great temples in Bagan.  It stands apart from the others due to its whitewashed exterior.  It has four golden standing Buddhas….

Standing Buddha at Ananda Temple

Standing Buddha at Ananda Temple

…facing east, west, north and south.  Along the corridors are over 1,600 tiny Buddha images within little niches.

People started arriving from all over the countryside…

Local People arriving for Ananda Temple Festival

Local People arriving for Ananda Temple Festival

…as this was the day for the Ananda Festival, held during the January full moon.  One of the rituals held on this day was the presenting of offerings to the monks.  The monks line up…

Monks lined up at Ananda Temple to receive offerings

Monks lined up at Ananda Temple to receive offerings

…both young,,,

Young monk receiving offerings at Ananda Temple

Young monk receiving offerings at Ananda Temple

…and old…

Monk receiving offerings at Ananda Temple

Monk receiving offerings at Ananda Temple

As they proceed through the line, they are handed a bowl with different food items as well as cash for them to return for use by their monastery.

Offerings for the Monks at Ananda Temple Festival

Offerings for the Monks at Ananda Temple Festival

This monk was capturing the event on his iPhone….

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Monk with his Smart Phone at Ananda Temple Festival

…while this little girl in the crowd had her face covered in thanaka to protect her from the sun…

Little girl with Thanaka to protect her from the sun's rays

Little girl with Thanaka to protect her from the sun’s rays

[Thanaka is seen throughout the country used by young people and women as sunscreen and decorative makeup.  It is a paste made from the ground bark of thanaka trees].

After viewing the monks’ procession, we continued our exploration of Bagan, next visiting this little unnamed pagoda, surrounded with sculptures of elephants…

Elephant Pagoda

Elephant Pagoda

…and then passed by these intresting stupas…

Stupas in Bagan

Stupas in Bagan

…before arriving at another of the key monuments in Bagan, the Shwezigon Pagoda…

Shwezigon Pagoda

Shwezigon Pagoda

This is the first pagoda built in the Burmese style following the country’s conversion to Theravada Buddhism.  It has five terraces representing the different  stages of nirvana.  Around the base of the terraces are plagues that illustrate the life of the Buddha.

Tiles representing life of the Buddha

Tiles representing life of the Buddha

Nat or “spirit” worship is still practiced at this pagoda.  This is a religious tradition in Myanmar that predated Buddhism, and when Buddhism was introduced, many were not willing to “let go” of their worship of the spirits.

Nat worship at Shwezigon Pagoda

Nat worship at Shwezigon Pagoda

Htilominlo Temple was our next stop.

Htilominlo Temple

Htilominlo Temple

Built in 1218, this temple has white stucco carving and glazed sandstone decorations, some of which have survived on the outside of the temple.

Exterior carvings oon Htilominlo Temple

Exterior carvings oon Htilominlo Temple

Another stop was the Upalithein Monk Ordination Hall, dating back to the mid-13th century…

Upali Thein Ordination Hall

Upali Thein Ordination Hall

It had some wonderful wall paintings inside, but photography was not allowed.

Manuha Phaya Temple was next…built in 1067, it is one of the oldest temples in Bagan…

Manuha Phaya

Manuha Phaya

The Buddhas in this temple, including a large reclining Buddha…

Large reclining Buddha in a small space in Manuha Temple

Large reclining Buddha in a small space in Manuha Temple

…were cramped within small spaces.  This apparently represented the discomforts experienced by the Mon King who built the temple, who had been imprisoned for a period of time.

After lunch, we went to a lacquerware factory to watch them first make strips of bamboo…

Making lacquerware in Bagan

Making lacquerware in Bagan

…then they weave it together, then they apply coat after coat of lacquer, scraping it smooth after each application, then they etch it…

Etching the lacquerware in Bagan

Etching the lacquerware in Bagan

…then they dip it and dip it. A simple soup bowl takes one month to complete.

Then on to gaze at more architecture….Gu Byauk Gyi at Myinkaba…

Gu Byauk Gyi Temple

Gu Byauk Gyi Temple

…was built in 1113 and known as the cave temple as it does not get much light.  It therefore has inner walls of painted frescoes that have been well preserved, but they are hard to view in the dungeon-like interior.

The six-terraced, pyramid shaped Dhammayangyi Temple…

Dhammayangyi Temple

Dhammayangyi Temple

…is the largest shrine in Myanmar and was built in about 1165-70 by a King who had murdered his father and brother to attain the throne; thus the large size of the building was to atone for his sins.

The Sulamani Temple name means “crowning jewel” or “small ruby”…

Sulamani Temple

Sulamani Temple

…deriving its name from the discovery of a small ruby at this site.  It was built in 1183 and has many murals and frescoes dating from the 12th to the 19th centuries…

Wall paintings in Sulamani Temple

Wall paintings in Sulamani Temple

Before heading to a traditional Burmese puppet show, we climbed up onto one of the many ancient shrines…

Sunset viewing temple in Bagan

Sunset viewing temple in Bagan

 

to watch yet another spectacular Bagan sunset…

Another spectacular sunset over the temples of Bagan

Another spectacular sunset over the temples of Bagan

On our second day in Bagan, we will explore more of the architectural wonders of this ancient city by bike!

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1 Response to "The Ancient City of Bagan – Myanmar – January 2013"

  1. Harry Eighmey says:

    Some great photos Dottie, especially the Buddhist Monk with the i-Phone. Twisted humor like mine!

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